DIY Seized/Stopped Lug Nut Removal

In this video I show one of MANY ways a person could remove a rounded off wheel nut. -Enjoy!
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South Main Auto Repair
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Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. South Main Auto Repair assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. South Main Auto Repair recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained.

[@SouthMainAuto]

For the record the customer bought the car this way. It was recently at the Walmart for service before he bought it...

[@northpoint1039]

I bet that oil pan drain plug should be check too.

[@mlkelley68]

recently at the Walmart for service..... Well there's your problem lady.

[@MoeLarrycurly1]

Never Wally World 🌎😡

[@1oldteck]

I hear that leave it to Wally world

[@terryharvey4811]

THAT does not surprise me at all....

[@WatchWesWork]

Your classic 3 hour tire rotation!

[@ghodgeco]

Man, If I had a dollar for every pound of road salt....Oh wait...

[@vinces8974]

3 Hours at least lol

[@chrisE815]

Come on man! Walmart took 3 minutes last time .

[@SouthMainAuto]

Customer: if I leave my car outside can you fit it in for a rotation today? Me: in my head I'm thinking sure no problem should only take about 20 minutes Reality: watch this video...😐

[@Sicktrickintuner]

@@SouthMainAuto Hahaha! Isn’t that the truth.....

[@torkrench]

3 hours later you got all of them drilled off just to find out your local parts house only has two freaking studs in stock Got to love it

[@TorqueTestChannel]

Ahh the ol "You can't be tight if you ain't there anymore, metal!" technique

[@mrflamewars]

As opposed to "it can't be tight if it's liquid" - when you bust out the blue tip wrench.

[@SouthMainAuto]

I'm gonna drill it, hammer it or turn it to liquid, either way I win in the end 😏

[@deanbarrett7180]

@@SouthMainAuto another method I've used is a thin wheel on an angle grinder, plunge cut straight down the stud. of course that's if the rim's allowed to get trashed

[@TheMingilator]

my peronal favourite, can't be tight if its fking vaporised aka plasma cutter

[@Glasgow_kiss]

Best method I have is to drive it to a mechanic, leave car, come back an hour or two later, pay the man and hey presto. Job done.

[@pablochavez9087]

That takes all the fun out of it

[@petero2693]

But later cant change flat tire. It spins tire... lugs wont come off...

[@8avexp]

As long as they don't try to sell you everything under the sun and then some.

[@throttlebottle5906]

or not done, because they're no good?

[@robertbell525]

Yeah unfortunately you end up having to fix their repair. I just had a local shop replace front struts and alignment. I got under there the other day to change oil and noticed they never attached the wheel speed sensor wires, just left them hanging. One was rubbing on the CV boot and was eating into the wire. So I had to fix that. Plus the steering wheel is at about 11:30 when going straight. Never letting them touch Old Crusty again. $1000 repair and they can't get it right. And this place comes recommended. I'd hate to see how an incompetent shop works.

[@miketeeveedub5779]

Eric O: "I tighten the wheel nuts with a couple of Uga-Dugas." Walmart Meat Puppet: "I tighten the wheel nuts until the shop compressor turns on."

[@markh.6687]

Or until the air gun begins smoking.

[@gary00832]

Bwhahaha

[@knurlgnar24]

Walmart has strict procedures in place to avoid overtightening and they legit use a clicker torque wrench as corporate policy. I actually prefer to go there for that reason. The other shops around, independent or not, just slam the wheels on with whatever PSI the tank's got.

[@peeprox1991]

@@knurlgnar24 Torque wrenches only work if the nut is under torque spec to start with. I've watched knuckle draggers give the nuts a good 5-10 ugga-duggas and then go around with a torque wrench - click click, she done torqued boss!

[@digitalrailroader]

@@peeprox1991 speaking as a Walmart technician, we also use color coded torque sticks (I.E an orange torque stick is 80ft lbs, gray is 100ft lbs, and aquamarine is 140ft lbs) and my own personal method is to do 2 half second presses of the impact gun’s trigger and that is usually enough for the final torque with the torque wrench.

[@fortcarlson8950]

If you are reading this make today an amazing day and keep moving towards your goals. success comes to those who never give up.

[@matthieutexier3611]

Yeah! Always remember to set a goal in life. That’s the rule

[@schaferrober6127]

Remember its never too early or too late to become smart with your money. Save invest, work do whatever you need to do to grow your wealth.

[@flourishmorales5200]

@@schaferrober6127 My mother thinks she got a great deal because she gets 0.05% in a money market account through Navy Federal, and get Fiddle Faddle buy 1 get 1 free at Aldis this work so she thinks she’s smart with her money. while I made 25% last year on 650k portfolio investing, I don’t have the heart to tell her she is clueless.

[@jasmineshantel3916]

@@flourishmorales5200 Wow that’s cool, I have been looking to start investing recently watching self-tutorial videos on KZbin can you share some tips to start investing for newbie.

[@schaferrober6127]

@@jasmineshantel3916 Buy stock and hold

[@zupmeoff]

Quick tip Tuesday on Thursday, lol

[@dougrobins8291]

Filed in the category "I hope that I never have to do this"

[@franksgarage8551]

Add to the statement, “again”

[@agger838]

Dont let morons work on your car and you wont. Regular tire rotations and replace lugs if they appear swollen goes a long ways

[@terryharvey4811]

If you're in the repair business, sooner or later you WILL get to do this

[@sirich7751]

Same thought......

[@davidrobins4025]

Hi, Doug.

[@robroberts1473]

Rounding off the wheel nuts is a anti rim theft technique. Lol

[@markh.6687]

Because who gets flat tires anyway? :)

[@joeishere500]

,, heck yea that's a good idea

[@boblister665]

Putting a torch to a real magneseum wheel could get real exciting.

[@Garth2011]

Yes and it won't respond to fire extinguishers of any kind

[@fukkyoutube]

yea but how many cars have magnesium wheels

[@markh.6687]

@@Garth2011 Need a Class D extinguisher formulated for magnesium fires. www.fireengineering.com/leadership/extinguishing-magnesium-fires/

[@iBringTheRain24]

@@fukkyoutube all it takes is one magnesium wheel and one idiot

[@John-ls5nu]

All the pretty cool colors lol

[@carlric]

Those bits cut like if the nut were made of butter... amazing.

[@paulrozinski1488]

This job would be perfect for the new “kid” in the shop. If he learns anything from it is PATIENCE. That is something that a good mechanic needs.

[@andrewgorges3152]

Thanks Eric. That's why I bring my cars to you and not the other shops. Walmart was the last shop to touch this car FYI. Literally just bought the car a few days ago.

[@MRrwmac]

Andrew, I hope you took pictures and are going to make Walmart service pay you back for Eric’s hard work? At least make the Wal Mart general manager of the store know what his service department and tools are doing to customer cars. 20 of them makes me think it was all on purpose!

[@albing1397]

Remember, "Righty, tighty, Lefty loosee"

[@jtb52]

Do Walmart repair cars? Selling bananas and fixing cars good strategy

[@dlewis9760]

@@jtb52 Super Walmarts tend to. Any pushing tires usually does. My Walmart doesn't, next one which is bigger does.

[@stitchbmx]

@@jtb52 they re strategy must be written backward. They're fixing bananas and selling cars...

[@moviemania1137]

20 stripped lug nuts? I see Scotty's been working on cars again😂

[@paulparoma]

My thoughts exactly!:)

[@1658iain]

Scotty? Surely not Mr. K... 😉 "Rev up your engines!" 🤣 🤫

[@Hitomaru-shiki.sensha]

i see 33 millenials are publicly envious of a boomer again because they dont have 4 million subscribers

[@spinb]

@@Hitomaru-shiki.sensha 4 million idiots.

[@Hitomaru-shiki.sensha]

@@spinb i see someone thinks they're better than 4 million people. elitism

[@ttrbykir]

I was waiting for the flat rate master to show up lol. Thanks for the tip, great video as always.

[@frederickmackay2234]

Did the same procedure on my BMW..only difference was i was working with a wheel bolt. Worked like a charm!

[@maskedmotorsdiy3575]

Rounding off the wheel nuts is a clever way to prevent wheel theft.

[@davidleandersson7194]

Quick tip Tuesday.

[@wilfredr980]

After this video wheel thiefs put a drill in the tool bag and a link to this channel in the handbook of wheel thiefs........

[@Happy357mag]

Thief's are lazy, they would just steal the whole car.

[@holdshortrunway27]

Eric O is a Pro ! Love your channel.

[@nickhorne4560]

When at the point you were at with that car, if beating a smaller socket on won't work anymore, I go in behind the hub with a torch and remove the mushroom end of the stud, then punch it through backwards. If it is drum brakes, or inaccessible to the torch, well drill and burr wins every time. Patience is a virtue for sure.

[@chrisforker7487]

I’d love to know who gives thumbs down to any SMA videos. I’ve always learned something new from every video.

[@kirstenspencer3630]

You guys have all the fun. Matco hyper step cobalt drill bits. Thanks gang at main street garage.

[@JosenReola]

I lost it at the 0:07 mark. If I had a dollar for every time I ran into that problem... 🤣

[@zayshairjourney5499]

“Quick, simple, and easy” YOU LIE SIR!!! 😂 nightmare for me but it worked 🙏🏾

[@danmarklesr6260]

C4 has worked for me, then bought another car.

[@thomasfletcher4765]

I have a feeling when someone stated " more bang for your buck " didn't have that in mind 🤔

[@fiksefant]

Having worked with stainless and other hard steel for years, I have experienced there is a huge difference in quality of drill bits and cutting oils. Even if its might not so super important when working on wheel bolts, I would suggest to use a good quality cutting oil for this work. It will save you money and time. In the mid 90s I got a "impossible task", to redrill, by hand, several thousand holes in 316 10mm thick steel, flanges on huge ventilation shafts for offshore use, standing outside on a 5-step ladder, during the Norwegian hars winter climate. I used a Fein hand drill with high torque and low rpm's, and a handful of drills branded Dormer, and a water cooled drill bit sharpener. No one at my work belived it was possible to do this. 3 weeks later I was finished. Within the time, I tried several ways to drill as fast as possible, saving the drill bits as best as possible, and without doubt; a thick and sticky cutting oil and some perfect angled drill bits made the big difference. So, for your next drilling project, I can recommend to do as you do, but get some better cutting oil. It will save you money in the long run. Dont recall what brand cutting oil I used, but this video from Project Farm might be of interest: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGe0dKWMab-Cn7c Best regards from western part of Norway :-)

[@ruley73]

That Saturn Ion Red Line deserved a better owner. Hopefully, the new owner takes better care of it.

[@WSKY19]

Those drill bits have gotten me out of many jams!

[@thomasherring6640]

With all the times I have drilled out bolts and studs to get stripped / frozen nuts off, never did it occur to me to use that same method for a wheel stud. Nice tip!

[@Paul1958R]

Eric, Great video and tip - thank you! FWIW - and I know some will disapprove - I always use anti-seize on the wheel studs on my cars. God bless Paul (in MA)

[@kirstenspencer3630]

Been using anti seize on my personal fleet for decades . Proper torque, no problems ever. It's really sad a " repair " shop cannot cannot even service an automobile without drama.

[@raymondreiff8170]

Yes I have noticed Politicians are really trying to screw up the cars we drive lately, That's why the automakers need to use GDI, Turbos, and Diesel exhaust fluids, all just to move us into full electric cars. No is going to want to own when it's -35 below zero.

[@shadowgarr7649]

Just a dab will do ya! I also put antiseize on the lip between the rim and hub.

[@ProleDaddy]

@@shadowgarr7649 I do both.

[@ahnbra]

I do not remember the last time I heard the Skin the cat line. I actually did LOL for about q minute on that on Eric. thank you for the tip and the laugh.

[@Turk_313]

Man the start of this video had me laughing in pain 😂😂 stripping one or maybe 2 nuts is ok .. but all 20 gets me 😂😂🏁

[@davidscott7005]

Wish I had know this a few years back as I took an angle grinder and cut up a $200 rim.

[@javybavy]

Damn how you get to that point 🤣😭🤣🤭

[@sharedknowledge6640]

Great tip. The sad part is whoever not stopping after he destroyed at least one nut on each wheel. You have to know when you’re beat and take it to a pro who actually knows what he’s doing like say SMA before doing even more damage.

[@TheEchomirage]

An Ugga Dugga is a unit of measurement consisting of time and torque, often found in automotive workshops. Ugga duggas can be counted infinitely, but it is commonly understood that 7 Ugga duggas is the maximum torque, while 3 Ugga duggas is sufficient to hold most projects.

[@MethodicalChristian]

Mr. O, You should seriously consider being an automobile maintenance/technician instructor. You would rock it!

[@DeweyCheatumNHoweLLC]

Ooh, flashback to my wrenching days. I had a pile of tools to remove them. It was always,"Kenny, come help me"

[@sirsweetness8332]

I peeled one off a 2500HD a few years ago. Took me an hour. Did not ruin the stud amazingly. Air hammered it off with only 2 threads still enclosed. It was a sight. I still have pictures of the masterpiece.

[@slowride55]

Catching the corner of the head of a rounded bolt has worked well for me.

[@robertkeefer1552]

Amazing the car noobs you run into doing your work.

[@AutoAuctionRebuilds]

Finally a KZbinr I've been watching forever commented on my video! And just in time!!

[@danlovins3155]

I take it to a mechanic like you to get them removed. They are a hassle to do without a lift. Keep the videos coming, I really enjoy them.

[@ironheart34]

Hey... Best tip? Bring it to Eric... He's the most honest mechanic I've seen.

[@thehappytexan]

What a nice customer. He wanted to see you so bad he created some work for you.

[@knurlgnar24]

I've had to do this a couple times - I think my drill bits are about half an inch shorter now! I've since learned to loosen and re-torque lug nuts on vehicles every few years if they haven't been touched for a while.

[@lilmuncy14]

Someone needs to show Randy from auto auction rebuilds this for his vette.

[@hommie789]

Eric, use a can of keyboard air cleaner. Turn can upside down so it sprays liquid, this freezes the nut. Use a socket one size smaller, a 19 then use an 18. Spray and freeze it, pound socket on and wait for it to warm up, 1 to 2 minutes then remove. Works 80% of the time and destroys the lug nut but not the stud.

[@shermer11]

20 Lug nuts? The customer is a lug nut. Nice to see very sharp drill bits. Always worth keeping them sharp. I am amazed at how many folks don't keep em sharp then complain on lousy results. Really like your videos. Cheers!

[@andrewgorges3152]

I'm a lugnut? I just bought the car thanks though 😆

[@andrewgorges3152]

I took it to South Main as soon as I seen the crap.

[@terryharvey4811]

@@andrewgorges3152 As DIRTY HARRY would say "A MANS GOT TO KNOW HIS LIMITATIONS". I, for one, think you are pretty darn smart. You knew what to do to solve you problem with out trying something stupid that would have made it a more difficult job for SMA.

[@chrisbaer4567]

I use a 19mm carbide hole-saw bit. Cuts the lugs off in no time

[@tomfoolery5665]

Hello Eric South Street Auto thanks for the videos I'm glad I found your channel I was a diesel mechanic for a county on long Island but became a NYC Firefighter until I suffered a catastrophic injury at work now I'm retired and got the itch to start turning wrenches again. These videos are helping me dust off the mechanic in me

[@jimpie231]

Had a similar problem on an old Lincoln Towncar, 2 years after the tires were changed by a big box store. Out of the 20 lugs, 16 came off with a little more effort. The lugs weren’t damaged just overtightend. I went to a friend’s house that had a better impact, all but one were removed. Knowing that they were the culprits, I went back to the store and insisted that they make this good. They did what you did and replaced the stud and a new lug nut. They did try to charge me, but I wouldn’t budge and they ate their mistake. This was Sam’s club! Jim

[@DasArab]

Heres hoping Randy at Auto Auction Rebuild see this .

[@dalemihocik4732]

This isn't for Randy , he half asses everything he touches because he has no patience .

[@braaapattack2937]

That guy is a complete tool

[@SimpleLife1971]

Charge Breakdown Labor: $95/hour Parts: Lug nuts, wheel studs : $85 Lug removal: 20 minutes per lug = $665 New stud install: 1.5 hours = $145 Total: $895 "Ok lady, the wheels are off"

[@JamesSmith-pc6bh]

After a stupid thing like that is charge twice that amount, just for the person's stupidity.

[@oceannavagator]

I resort to a small tactical nuclear device, but when the neighbors get testy, drilling them out works fine.

[@matthewbick1927]

.308 cal armor piercing wear safety glasses

[@billy-sx8wx]

The music reminds me of power block tv with Stacy David in the old days when he had the mullet. Believe it or not. I had luck with some lug nut sockets from Autozone. They were like a npt fitting. If you push hard on the impact they will thread onto the nut. I haven’t had to use on a nut that bad yet. Good video sir.

[@SmittySmithsonite]

HA! Saw your comment about the Walmart svc. center - that was my 1st guess. Runner up was Town Fair Tire - that place inspired me to buy a tire machine and balancer to do my own wheels from then on, back in '01. Ruined a brand new set of lug nuts, plus scratched the new rims, and squealed my power steering all the way out of the shop while laughing about it as I stood there watching the guy. Fantastic service, lol! Par for the 21st Century course. Hate that style rim - can't use the air chisel!

[@mikeaho4143]

Thanks for the quick tip Eric. What did Jason do with the one that the stud was spinning ?

[@NicholasAndre1]

Nick’s rule of thumb is that once you start to strip, you either need to be prepared to carry the assault through to the end OR admit defeat and bring it to someone with angrier tools. You do not want to strip every single one before you admit defeat.

[@davidwildridge8080]

Customer just wanted tire pressure checked. SMA always above and beyond

[@chriswessels4021]

I wanted to comment on your video “why you shouldn’t plug a tire” but the comments were turned off, I am very opposed to plugging tires (except in extreme emergency situations). With that being said my wife’s car has a screw in the rear left and I was tempted to plug it out of expediency. I searched for videos on plugging and found your video on the dangers of plugging and watching it brought me back to my senses. I made an appointment with my tire shop to get it taken care of with a proper inspection and patch.

[@majorpayne5289]

Some of the "tire-techs" out there are NUTS! Took my wife's car in for new tires. Brilliant tire tech attempted to remove Lug nuts w/ 1/2" impact on plastic HUB CAP FAKE nuts, destroying it

[@markh.6687]

Errr....OOPS!!

[@baileyhatfield4273]

I was only tricked for once simple time with some weird VW caps. Gms always had those caps on their 8 lug trucks, i still put them back on WITH a mid torque milwaukee, but its variable trigger, i just let it draw in and a simple ug ug. On a low mode mind you. The other techs with air guns are all liek UUHH WELL uR Gon STRIp EM. Not really lol. But yeah can't give those caps hell

[@shadowgarr7649]

Neighbor's Saturn was treated similarly. Tire shop denied the action.

[@majorpayne5289]

@@shadowgarr7649 lucky for me I watched the guy do it and called him out on it right afterwards. The look on his face was priceless indeed! They paid for new Chevy hubcaps too.

[@JeffWinter1]

One stripped nut is Just Great! 20 stripped nuts is Awesome! 😂 "And remember if you can do it, we can fix it" !🤣

[@markh.6687]

"And if you can't do it, we can fix that too!" :)

[@katieannefalletich8478]

85% of the video I need ATM! 😆 Front tire blew out a few days ago here in AZ during hottest heat wave in rec. history here in USA. AAA said 2 hour tow wait. Got a ride home 4 spare and back in 5 min. (MUCH quicker!) Then this young man offers to change it. I'm too miserable and fatigued from the heat to do it myself at this point, so I hesitantly agree. Thinking (not clearly)...What damage could he really do? Well, he cross threads not 1, but TWO lug nuts FFS!!! Already wasted hours w/no joy yet. Your video is perfect despite 1 problem your co-worker mentions, but y'all didn't offer the resolution. My damn lug stud's are spinning too, how did u remedy that? I'd be sooo grateful & seriously indebted if you'd fill me in. (Plus then, this will be a 5 star, 100% perfect post 😜

[@kevincalvert7084]

I use the snap on reverse threaded sockets. Easy as pie. No drilling , no mess , no fuss.

[@vadim7590]

Don't tell Auto Auction Rebuilds, he'll say it's impossible. 🤣

[@tomduncan1970]

I was thinking the same thing!

[@brianpooley6635]

@@tomduncan1970 he just sells the car, "i'm finished with it ,off to auction"

[@Daniel-lb7bu]

That dude is an arrogant idiot.

[@jackschissler255]

I guess this guy is a few steps up from Auto Auction Rebuilds 😂. And knows what he’s doing. 👍.

[@braaapattack2937]

@@Daniel-lb7bu that’s why I stopped watching that idiot, fluid swap and a $300 macco paint job and the car is “fixed”

[@steveharleyfan]

Eric: I wish you had shown us how to replace the studs, but thanks for a great video !!!

[@CCFROMAN]

He has videos on that already

[@cullenmiller8170]

The studs are usually just pressed in. You can knock them out with a hammer or air hammer. The new one just gets pulled back in with lug nut and some washers. hope that helps.

[@daveg7878]

Installing the new studs is really as easy as it sounds.

[@MTTech]

@@CCFROMAN Yup! Right here! How to replace the studs kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpvFcqlvnK6aobM

[@shadowgarr7649]

@@daveg7878 a former girl friend used to say similarly.

[@DIYDaveOK]

As always, appreciate all your videos, Eric!

[@martinmoffitt4702]

What a Pain in the arse! thanks for the tip!

[@ericbastion2149]

Hey from Michigan I’ve been a mechanic for 30 years run into this problem thousands of times I use a tool called a lug ripper works pretty good little expensive

[@ericbrenner690]

what part of Michigan?

[@ericbastion2149]

@@ericbrenner690 livonia Michigan suburb of Detroit my wife’s from Buffalo New York I go back-and-forth to see my grandkids quite often

[@charlesgregory7523]

@@ericbastion2149 Dearborn MI here... Love these videos.

[@justin456]

I live downriver and would like to know where you got this tool, all of you people live within 20 minutes of me lol.

[@ericbastion2149]

@@justin456 I bought it off of Amazon I believe

[@richardhayes7800]

I’ve usually had good success with pounding on your not so favorite 12 point socket

[@ferrumignis]

It's a good way of splitting cheap sockets 😁

[@brianpeters4486]

@@ferrumignis that's why don't use your favorites 😁. Split me a socket or two in my day.

[@richardhayes7800]

Impact sockets work the best and don’t usually split like chrome ones do

[@SouthMainAuto]

these nuts were way past that point...

[@richardhayes7800]

That has to be really bad if it got to that point haha

[@stevenlassiter1532]

That Guy should get a Trophy for Stripping all 20. Lol

[@neile9435]

Really enjoying big clive braking things

[@thomasfletcher4765]

A person would have to be " nuts " to round out all those 😖😜

[@WreckDiver99]

Or be the $10/hour kid they have doing oil changes and tire rotations at the dealerships and tire shops....because that's where it happened to my wife's expedition.

[@thomasfletcher4765]

@@WreckDiver99 🤪

[@papaboattail3736]

@@WreckDiver99 I've seen $20/hr. guys do it over & over again. That's why I don't let anyone touch my vehicles. After inspection I bring it home and give it a thorough going over. Things are usually left disconnected, wheels are over tightened.

[@WreckDiver99]

@@papaboattail3736 Unfortunately I don't have the time or many of the tools to do it. More the time. Even a brake job, a couple hours total for me, is a 3 week lead time to schedule in. I've never seen a $20/hour guy at the dealership or tire shop...not doing rotations and oil changes. LOL

[@DeweyCheatumNHoweLLC]

Oh, it's easy. Starts with those #$%^& tin caps. Get a little split in them, water gets in and the NY salt. I'm so glad I dont have to deal with that crap any more

[@CDSAutomotiveGarage]

I wounder how this would work on a deep well lug nuts or inclosed type that u can't get to the inside of the stud

[@turboflush]

Smart idea. No damage.

[@idgaffub]

Eric O the best auto mech show on youtube

[@michaelburgan6786]

Had to do this one time in a parking lot with 5 lug nuts, bought myself a lug ripper right after that. Best tool ever gets those studs drilled out in less then a minute

[@ferrumignis]

They are good provided there is enough clearance in recess that the nut/bolt fits into in the wheel. Also if its a locking/anti-theft fastener with a hardened ring on the outside you can forget it.

[@michaelburgan6786]

You’re right they do have their limitations but I’ve honestly never had any issues using them on a factory wheel (mostly older FCA that came with those poorly designed lugs)

[@dennypollard8004]

The cost in man-hours is worth more than the value of the car. Man must love his Saturn beater car.

[@mph5896]

Eric’s rates are cheap. Even beater cars, the prices are up today

[@CHEVYK10]

He's a honest mechanic, probably fairly cheap repair. $150 max out the door

[@richardturk7162]

My Jeep wrangler has those crappy capped wheel nuts and I have one that is all boogered up so when the weather breaks I am going to drill it out. Thanks for the tip on the drill bits.

[@markmichlewicz5141]

Over 30 years in the business and ive never seen that.thanks.good tip

[@chubbysumo2230]

I've had to use a sacrificial socket before, two sizes too small, beat it on there, and then throw the socket away.

[@flagmichael]

Discount Tire taught me that trick for removing a security lug nut when there was no key. Worked great, but I was able to reuse the socket by vise and drift.

[@motorbreath7174]

@@flagmichael ya, on the security nuts, toyota/lexus smooth type. Missing the key? 20mm 6 point, impact deep socket pounded on. Works best , Btw I have/tried all the special removal sockets.You can reuse the socket over and over. Snap on ? Naaaah, Sunex is good enough.

[@konradhittner4668]

I went to SMA for just a simple tire rotation, and it cost me $xxx !!!

[@rlewis1946]

What does $xxx equal in green backs? Did you ever have your vehicle serviced at Walmart Auto? We’re you lug nuts rounded? Just asking.

[@konradhittner4668]

@@rlewis1946 Relax, Roy-I was facetiously voicing a hypothetical, unaware customer, not necessarily this one.

[@-BuddyGuy]

@@konradhittner4668 Your facetiousness was not immediately obvious

[@walterbordett2023]

1996 grand cherokee jeep capped lug nuts siezed in place and rounded off. Got them loose with Irwin twist off damaged nut sockets. Used 3/4 inch breaker bar reduced to 1/2 inch for the sockets. They all came off no broken studs. Then I bought some good lugnuts and antiseized them good.

[@benjaminstockton3917]

Awesome tip Eric O.

[@rickshipley7872]

Best tip? Take it to Erik O!

[@johnhufnagel]

one if my "interview" methods for evaluating a new shop, is to have a tire rotation done. if I get the car back and I can't remove the lug nuts with the emergency tools, then they're immediately off the possible shop list.

[@juanc5149]

Plot twist John is 18 inches tall and 13 lbs.

[@SouthMainAuto]

@@juanc5149 🤣 I pee'd a little

[@johnhufnagel]

@@juanc5149 well, part of me is 😍 Now, I don't mind being the butt of a joke, but could you clue me in so I can laugh too?

[@wickedcoolname399]

@@johnhufnagel Remember, we're not laughing at you, we're laughing near you.

[@baileyhatfield4273]

I swear i torqued my brothers VW lugs right to the spec (im sure it was near 100 ft lbs) NOT EVEN a week later i went to took them son of a guns off...oh dear the high torque is struggling some? 2 bar battery...ok lets try a new one. NOPE? Breaking bar...I'm litterally lifting the car off of the ground and spinning the tire, this is not it. After some hard grunts and feeling like i'm a women going into labour, there i was, with it loose. Next time the thing is going back together with some copper spray anti seize (i've done it, works decent) or something. Almost broke my back for that.

[@ironman1518.]

EXCELLENT ERIC!! Great idea and thanks for passing it on to us home DIY guys!

[@Lucif7]

FUN TUMES. Been there. Took me about 6 hrs 5 bits and 2 💩-e drills. I kept going up sizes till the nut fell off. That was the last time I let a shop work on my jeep. They over torqued and stripped it.

[@SimpleElectronics]

Don't try this with Harbor Freight drill bits - for anyone thinking about trying it. At least not if it's your only car 😂

[@sharedknowledge6640]

Regular HSS Harbor Freight drill bits dull in the first 5 second of drilling anything harder than soft wood. And their cobalt bits are so brittle they regularly snap in half. They also feature typical Chinese machining quality where the points are not even symmetrical so they walk off center.

[@rimmersbryggeri]

Always buy namebrand drillbits. I like Dormer becasue we used to always have them in the machine shop where I worked. There are other ones too though like sandvik. Most cheap ones have the wrong edge profile so even if they were sharp they still wouldnt work.

[@toysareforboys1]

^^this. Go to good shop, tell them you want the most expensive drill bit they have. It's usually $16 for one instead of $1 but it'll work 1000x better, trust me :)

[@Kobafied]

I bought a set of Milwaukee cobalt bits 10 years ago and they last, and if you destroy one you can get a replacement at Homies. I recommend them - good quality and reasonable price.

[@pyro323]

No not Harbor Freight, it's pronunced Horrible Freight.

[@matthewknoedler4394]

This is pretty snazzy. I've only had to use the hammer and smaller socket method a few times to get some rounded lugs off... Eric I'd never do this to ya. I'd be too embarrassed to bring my car in with 20 rounded lugs on it 😂

[@2009mechanic]

I had one on my 5th wheel camper tandem axle that way. Some jackoff cross threaded the lug nut all the way on with a big impact wrench. I actually could not move it. I had to use my long handle Matco 1/2" ratchet with long cheater pipe on it to just break it off. Them I had to press out the old stud from the brake drum and order a replacement from O'reilly's Auto Parts and press it back in . What started out as a tire replacement and brake assembly replacement , turned into a 3 day job. Good thing I was doing it myself and not paying a shop. BTW , on campers it is actually cheaper and quicker to replace the complete brake assembly with electromagnet than just installing 4 sets of new brake shoes.

[@firstlast---]

Here's my free tip Friday, smear some wheel bearing grease on the wheel so the torch won't damage it as much. It will still leave a small mark but it's way better than a huge burn

[@kalabash72]

Wheel locks are fun to remove without the key. The DYI method I use is to take cheap 12 point socket that's slightly bigger than the wheel lock and pound that bad boy on there. That usually holds well enough to get it off. 😁

[@jorgefernandez-mv8hu]

I would be too embarrassed to bring my car in with 20 rounded nuts. Really? Thanks for the tip.

[@yepper1165]

See his pinned comment at the top.

[@JD-ns9mr]

@@yepper1165 or the guy is lying and blamed It on Walmart because he’s too embarrassed lol

[@yepper1165]

@@JD-ns9mr Definitely a possibility! 🤣

[@baxrok2.]

Sweet drill bits right there. Thanks Dr. O!

[@marknease1631]

Needed this in 1987 when I took my K-5 Blazer to a Boron Service Station (Now called BP) to have a slow leak fixed. He couldn't get the lugnut off, so he used a hammer and a chisel to chip away at the lugnut/stud and the rim...he chiseled the rim (didn't ruin it but you could tell he boogered it up with his chisel.)

[@jimhaines8370]

A little anti seize or grease on those threads in the past would have gone a long way. In the rusty parts of the country it a must

[@davidquinn6161]

Applying any kind of anti-seize or lubricant to wheel studs is something auto manufacturers strongly recommend not doing. Doing so can result in in lose of a wheel.

[@FishFind3000]

Your NOT supposed to put anything on the treads since it changes the torque values. This happens from shit lug nuts and the wrong size socket. The crappy chrome cap layer comes off but people keep hammering away with the larger size and round them over.

[@anichols5845]

Right, because of all the anti seize related deaths....probably should put loctite on each one. I’ll take my chances.

[@davidquinn6161]

@@anichols5845 GM factory service data specifically warns against applying anti-seize or lubricants to wheel studs. I trust that GM knows more about this than me. And I do know of an incident where a wheel fell off due to this.

[@Rein_Ciarfella]

David Quinn Yeah, all that bullish-t about not lubing lug threads. I used 3 in 1 oil on every thread every time since my first tire change in 1969. No nuts ever loosened and I never had a torque wrench until two years ago. Always used a speed wrench and always tightened until it squeaked tight. The only caveat about using lube and a torque wrench is the values change so you need to under torque to be at the correct value. Look it up - there’s plenty of info online about this. 👍🔧

[@Sicktrickintuner]

I guess it is a great way to “round out” the day? 🤔 too soon?

[@8avexp]

Rim shot!

[@johnchristopherson2718]

Wow those is some good drill bits, noticed the shavings were sharp, I guess I'll quit procrastinating, and get a set.

[@markh.6687]

Last time I saw that many shavings that fast, I knew MY bits should be thrown away!

[@pastorrich7436]

Lug Nut Removal -- Sitting so close to the action I feel like I need safety glasses just to watch! Well done.